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MHG66549 - Cruck house - Inver (Inbhire), Raasay

Summary

The walls of this well constructed house stand to a maximum height of 1.3 m inside.

Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

A township comprising nine unroofed buildings, one of which is a long building, an enclosure and a length of wall is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Isle of Skye 1879, sheet xxx). Six unroofed buildings are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1988).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 4 November 1996

The survey of Balachuirn, Balmeanach, Brae, Inbhire (Inver on OS 1:10,000 map) and the surrounding area was carried out by ACFA in April 1996 as part of a continuing programme of recording the physical remains of human activity on the island of Raasay.

Inver Part 3; On a steep heather and birch scrub covered slope, on the west side of the Allt a Bhraghad four structures and an enclosure stand on different levels on small patches of less steep ground. These structures have been exceptionally well built of dry stone walling, with two standing almost to the original height. The construction is of large basal stones chosen to form a good foundation on sloping ground. There is evidence of coursing above these very large boulders. The walls are double skinned with rubble fill and the inner skin is constructed of smaller stones than those outside. They have no windows and all the doors face towards the river.

Feature 12. House . Almost rectangular, internally measuring 6.5 m x 2.8 m at the north gable and tapering to 2.4 m at the southern end, the walls of this well constructed house stand to a maximum height of 1.3 m inside. The walls have a width of 0.7-0.8 m at maximum height but the north west gable and the east wall, which is tumbled around the entrance, are about 1.0 m wide at the base, causing a slight batter on the long east wall and what is in effect a plinth, in some parts 0.6 m wide. The north west gable with a batter reaching 0.2 m at the top gable has a very large boulder at its base. The entrance, about 0.8 m wide, lies midway along the east wall. The features of note internally are the crock slots occurring in the north corner of the north west gable and 0.6 m from there in the long wall. These average 0.2 m wide. In the other corner of the gable they are less obvious but, as the top of the wall has deteriorated, the internal filling seems to have slipped into the slots. 2 m from the south comer, on the westerly wall a cruck slot 0.5 m high and 0.2 m wide can be seen.

A later addition of a well constructed stone fireplace occurs against the south east gable with a compartment for a fire 0.3 m wide, 0.35 m high and 0.5 m deep. Above this, a stone lined space reaching a width of 0.6 m and depth of 0.3 m, is now topped with an asbestos cement board.

These four structures show an outstanding quality of building. The beautifully rounded corners, the narrower southern ends, the well chosen basal stones, forming plinths, necessary for stability at the northern ends all indicate construction of a high standard. The gables standing to the same height as the side walls and the presence of cruck slots in no's 12 and 14 indicate that the roofs were hipped. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5505 4216 (10m by 10m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG54SE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	PORTREE

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